News Archive - February 2012

UK work permits applications to get tougher still?

Access to UK work permits has become increasingly difficult since the coalition government took control and implemented its plans to lower the number of immigrants coming to Britain.

However, it looks like they haven't finished yet as immigration minister Damian Green has reiterated his calls to limit UK visas to only a select number of individuals.

Speaking at the Policy Exchange in London, Mr Green argued that those moving the Britain from outside of the European Union must be able to demonstrate that they will “add to the quality of life in Britain”.

Citing a recent report from the Migration Advisory Committee (Mac), he added that the current government will no longer go along with the “old assumption” that immigration is a good thing for the economy regardless of the social consequences.

“That was the view of the previous government in its early years, and it is still the view of Tony Blair and some of his former advisers,” he said. “It is not my view, or the view of the vast majority of the British people.”

A number of changes are already coming into force with the above sentiment in mind. For example, people applying for UK spouse visas to join their husband or wife will be required to pass a tougher English exam to demonstrate that they can communicate in the country's native language.

It seems likely that a higher salary threshold will now also be implemented in a bid to only allow people at the top of their professional game to access UK work permits.